Can't I Touch Your Heart?

Chapter 21 Chats Begun

Rhea got on her haunches and patted Teucer gently, "There aren't much street dogs here," She noticed.
"There aren't much people here so dogs usually die out of starvation," Ember told her while he fed the old dog. Rhea looked at the wilderness around, "No wonder people don't live in these areas," She looked at the sky, half covered with the shade of trees and the smell of algae and decaying wood filled the cold air. As the breeze moved past the trees, the yellow, ripened Neem berries fell on the wet road. Rhea looked at Ember as he patted the dog.

"You really love dogs, huh?"
"You know, the world's best anti depressant is a wagging tail. We call them" He laughed as Teucer licked his face.
"Dogs?"
"Fur angels,"

An old man walked out from the shop with a walking stick supporting his old stature, "Oh, Ember. Met you after a long time, my boy," He said in Hindi. Ember got up and Teucer jumped at him, with both his paws on his shoulders.
"Okay, you're heavy, Teucer," Ember laughed.
"Teucer, shoo!" The old man rebuked the dog and it got down and walked to a corner.

"Namaste, Mr Seth," Ember joined his dirty hands.
"Let's wash your hands first," He went inside and came out with a bowl of water. He poured the water down and Ember washed his hands. Mr Seth looked at Rhea, "Who is she?" He inquired.
"She's that girl I told you about," Ember said.
"Oh!" Mr Seth smiled as he fixed his glasses, "You love painting?"

"Erm, I guess?" Rhea looked at Ember.
"Ember told me a lot about you. Come inside,"
"Yes," She quickly walked towards Ember and whispered that she didn't have enough money on her.

"Don't worry. You can just look around, buy something the next time we're here," He assured her and they walked inside and looked at the shelves full of paint cans, hundreds of colours, all of them covered with dust and a money plants running down all the shelves, marking its territory. 

Different types of brushes from round, flat to filbert, aligned themselves on the wall. A small shelf just dedicated to pencil cases that harnessed every shade of pencil, erasers and pens occupied a corner of the shop. Rhea walked to the shop and touched the stationary aligned on the walls. Watercolor paper and hardcover sketchbooks took yet another section of the small shop. It quite literally was a painter's paradise, with almost every supply-Canvas boards, Masonite boards, acrylics, oils, inks, watercolor, poster paint, easels, varnishes and even equipment she had never seen.

"What is this?" Rhea picked up a stick-like accessory from the bottom shelf,
"It's a Mahl stick," The old man replied, "It is used by painters to support the hand that holds the brush,"
"I've never even heard of this," 
"You're still a beginner, I suppose?"

"Yeah," Rhea kept the Mahl stick aside. Right on the opposite wall was an array of colour palettes of different designs and patters. There was so much she wanted to buy, but she knew she'd never have enough money. And she didn't wanted to ask for money from her parents because her father was already cross with her and her extravagent painting supplies.

Ember picked up a box of Specialist's craft drawing ink, "These are your favorite ones, aren't they?"
"Yeah!" She laughed, "What the hell! I usually never find these in normal Indian stationary shops," She took the box from him. He smiled "Let's buy this. Mr Seth, how much?"
"Well, its shipping cost me a bit on the high side. It's nine hundred and ninety five rupees,"
Rhea looked at Ember, "Nevermind, we can look at something else,"

"Why? That's your favorite brand, it's not even that expensive,"
"Not for you, Ember," She walked towards the canvas boards. He walked towards her and sat beside her, "Hey, what's wrong?" He asked.
"I have such an expensive hobby. My dad is..."

"Who cares about your dad?"
"I do," She said, "I'm still financially dependent on him,"
"Well, what about your allowance?"
"What allowance?"